how much pain can you endure?
22 May
Non Matrix fans bear with me for a second.
One of my favourite movie lines comes from The Matrix – Reloaded, where the Architect is talking to Neo about the destruction of Zion. Neo tells the Architect that the machines cannot wipe out all humans, as they need them for power.
The Architect nonchalantly replies:
“There are levels of survival we are willing to accept.”
Every time I go through a particular hard situation, you know, the ones that make you want to quit, I remember that particular line, and I ask myself;
“How far down this road am I willing to go to achieve my dream or my goal?
What level of survival am I willing to accept before I call it quits?
What kind of beating can I endure before the pain breaks me?”
In more common terms, it’s called looking at worst-case scenarios, or the breaking point, beyond which you know you simply cannot endure whatever it is you are going through.
I’ve learned from experience, that most people give up way before their breaking point. Heck, most people give up before they even hit the halfway line to breaking point.
I’ve drawn up a “Situational Badness” graph to visually reflect my views on this.
On this graph, pain means any negative influence you’re going through, ranging from brokeness, financial strife, hunger to torture. Of course if you’re being tortured, then this graph and blog are the least of your worries.
I’ve also tried to explain my analysis of the different personality types after the graph.
The Graph
The Personalities
Pessimists
These ones quit even before the pain starts, they just imagine the pain and start giving all possible excuses to avoid the pain.
Quitters
As soon as they experience the slightest amount of pain, they begin looking for an exit strategy and should the pain increase just by a little bit, they drop out completely.
Admittedly, much as the term “quitters” draws negative connotations, they are a step up from the pessimists.
Optimists
Most optimists have a “Things will get better” attitude, and they will endure for a while, with varying levels of endurance, hence the wide range on the graph, but they will grit their teeth and hang in there until the pain becomes extreme.
They form the biggest percentage of people, who against all odds, do their best until the situation demands for far more than what they are capable of giving. What normally makes them quit is when something is beyond their means or knowledge.
Die-hards
This group knows pain from experience, they’ve transcended optimism and will go above and beyond their means to achieve what they want, even if it means learning new skills or stepping outside their comfort zones. However, even they have their limits and will quit at a certain point, normally past the extreme pain, around the point where it becomes unbearable physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Fanatics
This group embraces pain, they welcome it knowing the rewards are bigger than the pain itself. They train for pain, they develop their mindsets for only worst case scenarios. Only a few wildly successful people are true fanatics. The majority of successful people drop out in the die-hard range.
Jack Bauer, Chuck Norris, Rambo, etc
To the average human, this group is just mad. They seek pain, they welcome death. They have made their peace with their maker. Or not. This is a very exclusive club, one step away from being gods. This group is reserved mainly for the scintillating and nail-biting entertainment of the less worthy mortals.
Disclaimer: It’s pretty obvious that this graph is not based on any scientific analysis, and should therefore not be used as reference for your next thesis. Right.
My question for you is:
“How much pain can you endure? And what levels of survival are you willing to accept?”
—
Rogue FM: Earth Wind and Fire – Boogie Wonderland (with The Emotions). Thanks to The Emrys. There ain’t no school like the old school!
—
Offtopic:
Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.
- Lance ArmstrongWe must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.
- Kenji MiyazawWisdom is nothing more than healed pain.
- Robert Gary LeeGiven the choice between the experience of pain and nothing, I would choose pain”
- William Faulkner
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This is brilliant! I tend to agree with you… although I think that I should be right up there with Jack Bauer because I’ve watched almost every episode of My Super Sweet 16…. (for research purposes). Now that’s pain.
My Super Sweet 16? Even the title alone makes me nauseous!! Are you sure it was for research, Kiana? You can be honest, you know.
That’s for dropping by!
Ha, this graph is incomplete. between Fanatics and Jack Bauer there should be masochists. The people who enjoy pain for pains sake. As for myself, I’m proud to say I’m off the charts…somewhere in the bottom left corner of the image..u see me? just next to the copyright symbol…
Great post dude. Makes me think of NOLF: “How about some pain my friend?”
Thank you, but dude, if we start going into specifics, we might never end!!
life has made me a pessimist in some areas and a die hard in others so my graph would be different
Hello Luce. Well, this graph is a generalisation, so it’s not very applicable when it comes down to deeper issues.
But still, I believe you have a convergence / intersection between your pessimism and die-hardiness.
Have a great weekend!
I’ll interject to say only that I love the Bauer category. And now I am off to watch me some 24.
Howdy Teti.
I would just like to say Chuck Norris should be top of the bad guy’s list.
And this was fun to read, even though I am languishing somewhere between “quitter” and “optimist”.
Hahaha. I agree. Chuck Norris is way too cool. Him and Charles Bronson. I wonder what happened to that dude.
Chill the quitters, for Pete’s sake! Hehehe, always wanted to use that!
For Pete’s sake?
You are quite mad!
Yup. This I know for a fact.
the majority of times, i am an optimist… but sometimes, i can be a quitter…
i am liking this post…
when the architect was talking to neo, at one point i think my mind just switched off.
Thank you, Sybella.
Your mind switched off at the Architect scene? Wow. There was a time I could quote the entire scene verbatim.
I know. Geeky like that.
Princess… 24? i have fought with the only episode of the last season i tried to watch. It might still be on pause on one of my pages
Me likey graph, King…im right there in pessimist category but im quickly working my way to die-hards.
It is what is it is and u need to kick butt to make it in this world, ya no?!
Hehe, skipping from pessimist to die-hard is a huge leap, no? And yes, to kick butt, you need to watch enough 24! Haha.
SoloDawgKing!!
You are on point!
and for your information, i have saved this in my del.ici.ous favourites…
Killah!
i’d like to believe i am a die-hard…
had no idea about the rest playa…
thanks for sharing mate
Thanks Mr. BDawg! Glad you liked the post. Die-hard? Yeah, I believe you there.
Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever…
Optimist..most of the time…quitter….i dont like thinking of myself that way…..
how are you.
I’m alright UG Girl. Good to know you’re not the quitting type.
How are you?
this just puts u up there with the intarekchos..Newton,King,Einstein,Sleek…definitely a keeper;already hit save..
Hahaha! I like how you put yourself in the intarekcho group.
dropping in to say:
my development blog is at
http://www.mysuggestionis.blogspot.com
holla and good news agwan this week
will keep you posted
Noted and added. That officially makes 150 blogs!
Waiting for the good news.
Cheers.
King they should just dump you at the station without a ticket, remember the train man? even Bauer would quit, but nice graph and I don’t know where i fall, basically when things get really bad I bail. but that don’t mean I can’t take pain it just means, I look at the odds and decide, if the goal is worth the pain..any way dropped a comment on blodspirit but nothing, so ama take spartakuss’ cue : my new blog is carsozy.wordpress.com -please add
nice graph.
lol
i’m usually an optimist, but i can cross the border line of die hard if i really want it. Depends.
we all have different pain thresholds, and ur right, once we go through pain and endure and overcome it, we transcend into a higher pain threshold.
Pain really is all in the mind.
i believe it is possible to manipulate the sensation of even physical pain so that it ‘doesn’t hurt’…i has been done, hence is possible.
*sigh* pain…great topic!
truth and truth beyond truth. makes you think doesnt it? i am going to the nearest confessional to repent.